𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝘼𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝘽𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙚!

FORTY ONE - The Thin White Duke

FOUR MONTHS LATER

FEBUARY, 1976

"Tell Corinne Schwab that Mari is here!!"

Mari shouted after the security guards that wouldn't let her in, they rolled their eyes as they turned their backs to the woman. She stood there in disbelief, mumbling profanities, wondering how she'd made it so close to the backstage area without being stopped, and all of a sudden these two idiots want to come in her way.

Last she'd seen David, they left on good terms. The same terms they usually left on, but now things were different. It had been four months. She always promised to stay in contact, he did the same, and yet here they were; four months later. She hadn't a clue how he was doing, she hadn't even done the littlest to write to him.

It was his new album that had changed her mind. It was like a gravitational pull, she had to see him. Just looking at his face on the cover made her realize her mistake. 

Then she heard he was on tour. 

The concert's environment— nothing about it seemed real. Like it was all surrounded by some sort of fog, or haze, with the only reassurance about the rest of the people there was the fact that they were all out to see one thing.

...And there he was.

She quickly turned around as David stepped out of a clean black limousine that had just pulled up behind her, he locked eyes with the woman. She almost waved, she almost smiled, she almost ran towards him in a frenzy of emotions— then she really saw him.

He was sick. Of course he was sick, he'd been sick for a long time, that was a known fact, but this wasn't sick. It was dying. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and then worry as he stepped out of the limousine-- The only time those lifeless eyes lit up was when they caught sight of her. As Corinne stepped out just after him, she noticed this, tracing his pupils back to where Mari was standing, watching David with complete fear in her eyes.

He started to call after her, "Mari!" to which she found herself walking to get right next to him.

That was when she forgot her worries, she forgot what she'd been observing moments beforehand. All she cared was that she was back, she was back in the city and she was crawling right back to him.

"I tried to get in, but the guards wouldn't let me past." She told him, quiet, watching out the corner of her vision as he scowled at said guards, gently taking her forearm and pulling her inside with him.

As soon as they were a ways from the people and the press, David turned around and pulled Mari into an embrace. Not having seen the one woman he wanted to see for months pained him, but it would've pained him even more to say so he kept quiet.

She returned the embrace just the same, "I missed you.", she whispered There was a moment longer before he pulled back, watching her for a moment, pursing his lips, before noticing the guards keeping Corinne waiting at the door.

"Christ," He scoffed, "oi, let her in!"

The guards looked back and then over at Corinne, moving to the side to allow her entrance. She rolled her eyes as she walked in, "Place needs new guards, those ones are fucking idiots."

Mari and David chuckled, "Looks like they want their own show." David commented.

Meanwhile, Corinne tapped Mari on the shoulder, causing the woman to turn around to see Corinne smiling back at her, "It's good to see you." she whispered.